BFTG - Norwich

[Armadillo Roadkill]

I can admit it when I was wrong.

I had naively thought a manager with experience of coaching at Bayern and Real and a team full of experienced Championship players would be enough to make a relegation fight almost impossible.

You can’t even say they weren’t trying, they clearly were, against an quite astonishingly mediocre Norwich side, and yet even then we were carved open at times.

Here’s hoping there are at least three teams even more sh1t than us. That’s asking quite a lot, because we really are League 1 material at best.

[Royality creeps In]

Been watching Reading since the 70's and this lot are up there for lack of effort of any Reading team I have seen (And I have seen a few)

I could put up with losing and trying but this lot are just bloody useless.
Totally hacked off with it all at the moment.

[Snowflake Royal]

I can admit it when I was wrong.

I had naively thought a manager with experience of coaching at Bayern and Real and a team full of experienced Championship players would be enough to make a relegation fight almost impossible.

You can’t even say they weren’t trying, they clearly were, against an quite astonishingly mediocre Norwich side, and yet even then we were carved open at times.

Here’s hoping there are at least three teams even more sh1t than us. That’s asking quite a lot, because we really are League 1 material at best.

Why do you think you were wrong... as far as I can see we are making a relegation fight impossible.

[FiNeRaIn]

People talking about league one being a disaster for this club could well be right, but they better start setting their expectations now. There is no way there are three worse teams than this lot. The whole culture of the club from the top down is rotten and its directly reflected on the pitch. No skill, no tactical awareness, a lack of effort with some players, a losing mentality and no fight or grabbing games by the scruff of their necks when they are in the balance.
When we go down lets hope for a huge turnover in both playing and coaching personnel. Lets finally balance the books and silly contracts, get rid of the deadwood and lets blood the young guys and lower league players who WANT to be here to prove themselves. Yes we might not recoup much for the likes of Aluko, Gunter, Swift, llori, etc but they've shown enough in their careers at certain points that people will take their contracts off our hands, there are always panic buyers. I'd much rather watch 7 youth academy players find their feet and lose than 11 signed seasoned pros who are god awful. We're going down, start making a list of league one grounds you haven't visited and the pies you haven't tried and make peace with it.

[Pepe the Horseman]

Terrible first half. Good start to the second half, before we threw it away in less than a minute. Highlight was probably Aluko standing on the ball and falling over. Special mentions to Gunter and Bacuna who were dreadful. And it really is time for Club1871 to call it a day.

[URZZZZ]

Walker - Didn't do much wrong 5/10
Gunter - at fault for both goals, seems to have an attraction towards the goalkeeper whenever he has the ball. Blackett may be poor, but he's 10x times the player Gunter is 0/10
Ilori - should have done better for the second goal, not good enough but chosen simply because there's no-one else 4/10
Moore - first goal questionable, few decent blocks. Miles too good for this team 6/10
Yiadom - moved out of position to accommodate Gunter, really poor, too many errors and offered nothing forward 2/10
Kelly - I honestly think I could do his job. Stand on the centre circle, play sideways and backwards passes and then when trying to pass the ball forwards, smash the ball as hard as humanely possible so no-one can get it 1/10
Bacuna - thinks he's better than he is. Left footed volley probably still in the air now, continuously lets their midfielders waltz through, never contributes in an attacking sense. After Gunter, he's the first player I'd get rid of 1/10
Aluko - OK game tonight, decent through ball to Gunter who proceeded to pass to a Norwich player with 3 players in the box. Unfairly judged because of his price tag, but simply doesn't offer enough through the game 5/10
Swift - poor first half, MOM second half, drove the team forward well 6.5/10
Meite - pub player 1/10
Baldock - not a lone striker, ineffectual and should have done more when put through by Barrow 3/10

Subs:
Bod - made a difference, should be starting 6/10
Sims - positive and direct, didn't really click for him though 4/10
Barrow - desperately overrated, still a lot better than Meite though 4/10

One major difference between the playoff season and the last one/start of this one is the contribution of the wingers. Although the quantity of wingers may have increased, the quality has dramatically fallen. Mccleary in 2016-17 and Beerens put this current lot to shambles, says a lot that people treat Barrow as a messiah when he has struggled everywhere else. However, because he is not Dutch, he didn't get half as much stick as what he should do
Clement should have one more game, failure to get 3 points should be the end for him

[Kitsondinho]

I only watched it on the TV, so not going to do a proper review. However, watching that tonight reminded me so much of the TB1 and TB2 era.....players we’ve overpaid for being underwhelming, against a functional Championship side. We are in such a heap of Ox***d and League One really does seem the only logical ending to this.......

[Zip]

Fuming. The one thing I had hoped for was some urgency and the team on the front foot from the start. Instead they were outworked and outplayed in the first twenty odd minutes. I do not want to hear Clement and the players say they are working hard to improve when they can’t even be bothered to work hard on match day. At one point Swift was running to the ball in one corner of the pitch surrounded by three Norwich players with no team mate close enough to pass the ball to.

It really is about time Clement realised Meite is not good enough at this level and that Aluko is hopelessly ineffective. We had no pace in the first half and no width. It was also the worst performance I have ever seen from a pair of full backs.

Walker 6 No chance with either goal
Gunter 3. He was comically bad
Moore 5 Far from convincing and failed to dominate the penalty box
Ilori 6 The pick of a poor back four
Yiadom 4 Awful passing. Regularly lost possession. Poor attempt on goal. Dreadful
Bacuna 4. Went AWOL as Norwich attacked through the centre with loads of space
Kelly 4.5 A couple of decent passes mixed with poor ones. Should not be starting
Swift 6 Lamentable first half but much improved after the break
Meite 4 No technique. No ability but works hard.
Aluko 4.5 He tried harder but created nothing
Baldock 4 Awful. So poor.

Lose to Hull and Clement is a dead man walking

[Zip]

Didn’t realise Ilori may have been at fault for the second goal. If true he drops to a 5.

[leon]

I started to write out a load of stuff, but I really can't be bothered.

Except to say the team are all lazy, useless cnuts.

(apart from Bod of course, I like Bod)

[bcubed]

Didn’t realise Ilori may have been at fault for the second goal. If true he drops to a 5.

He absolutely was at fault.
From memory he tackled with the wrong foot but in any case should have taken the ball and man if necessary and cleared both into touch. It was half hearted at best.

[windermereROYAL]

Not sure why Baldock is getting a lot of flak, what the hell do you expect from him when the midfield is non existent?

[leon]

Didn’t realise Ilori may have been at fault for the second goal. If true he drops to a 5.

He absolutely was at fault.
From memory he tackled with the wrong foot but in any case should have taken the ball and man if necessary and cleared both into touch. It was half hearted at best.

Yes and then the ball was played in. To Moore, whose "clearance" was straight to a Norwich player about 3M away. Who then has enough time in the box to set himself up to score.

Also how were Norwich able to just walk through our midfield from kick off?

If we're going to do blame, let's get it right eh?

[leon]

Not sure why Baldock is getting a lot of flak, what the hell do you expect from him when the midfield is non existent?

He has no pace or physical presence and was totally ineffectual whenever he got the ball?

But then he's not a lone striker, not in this team formation, so what Clement is fcuking playing at is anyone's guess.

[biff]

Seen quite a few twitter contrarians tweet about being sick of our fans "sense of entitlement" whilst not being able to define what they mean by it. Nowhere have I seen anyone suggest we are entitled to do well, but as fans we should at least expect a professional football club with the most expensive squad ever assembled to at least look like they're capable of carrying out their chosen profession. If thats the case, then colour me self entitled.

[alfie9]

Legitimately felt we were turning a corner after the Preston game. How naive of me.

[Top Flight]

Although we lost again, I'm still optimistic we can stay in this division. Like I said after the Preston game, this side, the way they are playing currently look destined for relegation. But I think Clement will be able to improve the situation and sort us out.

On BBC Berks Adie Williams wanted to question Clement about his team selection. Why did Barrow not start. Why is Aluko still getting games. Why is Gunter still playing. However, I think Clement was right not to change a winning side. One of Sir Steve Coppell's mantras was never to change a winning team. If you win that is how you keep your place in the team. And after beating Preston this side deserved another run out to see if they could back it up with another three points tonight. Unfortunately they failed and now Clement is well within his rights to ring the changes.

When we were successful in this division with a three man midfield, our 3 were well balanced and complimented each other. We had Evans or Van Den Berg as the defensive protector. Swift or Kelly as the flair man supporting the attack and pulling the strings and Danny Williams as that box to box terrier providing the engine, the heartbeat and the inspiration to those around him. Right now our three are just not right and in my opinion is where the main problem in our team is right now.

We all know that we are weak at the back and let in far too many goals. After conceding four goals in the last two games it is lucky that we have managed to come away with three points from the two matches. I don't think the reason for our weakness is because of who our back four are. It is what is happening in front of them that I think is the problem.

I love Kelly and Swift but I don't think they should be playing together in the team. It should be one or the other. Against Hull on Saturday we should try Ezatolahi, Bacuna and Swift toghether as the midfield trio. Ezatolahi to do the Evans/Van Den Berg protector role. Bacuna to try and be the Danny Williams engine and heartbeat of the midfield and Swifty to provide the flair and pull the strings. Clement seems to know what the problems are and he is trying to find the solutions. He has brought the Iranian enforcer in and hopefully that will bind the midfield together and give it the right blend to work well.

But Clement needs several more transfer windows to sort this squad out. We just have to carry on supporting him, carry on being patient and let him do his stuff. We can't keep getting trigger happy and putting the manager under more and more pressure. He needs time to do the job right. Coppell needed three years. As did McGhee as did all our managers who have achieved something.

COME ON YOU ROYALS! THE TURNAROUND IS COMING!

[bobby m's syrup]

Been a Reading fan for over 50 years...blah blah etc. As l now live in South Africa, l only see the odd televised games.

This is all so sad. The life seems to have gone from the squad. Would new management be the answer?

I remember the Third...and Fourth Divisions. We really don't want to go back there and shouldn't with the squad we have. Could a forceful personality shake out the apathy and lack of belief? What do those closer to home think? I don't believe in change for change sake, but something has to happen or it will be Oldham et al on a wet winter Wednesday night all over again

[Harpers So Solid Crew]

Been a Reading fan for over 50 years...blah blah etc. As l now live in South Africa, l only see the odd televised games.

This is all so sad. The life seems to have gone from the squad. Would new management be the answer?

I remember the Third...and Fourth Divisions. We really don't want to go back there and shouldn't with the squad we have. Could a forceful personality shake out the apathy and lack of belief? What do those closer to home think? I don't believe in change for change sake, but something has to happen or it will be Oldham et al on a wet winter Wednesday night all over again

To be fair that Oldham game was a classic, what a waste of petrol.

[Hound]

That’s first 30 were as bad as I’ve seen us

Lazy, lethargic and uninterested. Just how can you start a game like that. Clement was clearly fuming about it post match, but the buck stops with him

Between 30-72 we were ok in patches. Looked quite dangerous coming toward and made a few chances. Never looked totally secure at the back, largely due to an embarrassment of a performance by Gunter

Decent work by Swift and Moore (?) for our goal. Then a horrifically defending Norwich goal but us back in our first 30 stupor

Dunno where you go from that. Another performance like that against Hull, which let’s face it is likely, and I suspect the owners will be wanting heads to roll